


In the corridor, at Christmas

by gonattsaga



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Gen or Pre-Slash, HP: EWE, Harry Potter is a Hogwarts Professor, M/M, One Shot, Post-Deathly Hallows, Severus Snape Lives, Severus Snape is a Christmas-hating grouch, also known as a Grinch, but Harry Potter doesn't care, or Scrooge, you won't get an explanation for how in this ficlet though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 21:22:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9922649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gonattsaga/pseuds/gonattsaga
Summary: Severus will never get used to this. Any of it. Bumping into Harry Potter at every turn. Being eye level with him — When did that even happen? Only moments ago he was a scrawny little whelp mere three feet from the ground and drowning in his robes and now… Well...





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm having a bit of writer's block in my H/D fic "Nearly", so when this scene popped into my head I decided to scribble it down, just to get something written...

 

 

 

”Severus! Hi…” 

 

Severus blinks. He will never get used to this. Any of it. Bumping into Harry Potter at every turn. Being eye level with him — _When did that even happen? Only moments ago he was a scrawny little whelp mere three feet from the ground and drowning in his robes and now… Well._ — Being in the cross-fire of the young man’s smiles. Hearing that voice slither around the sibilant sounds of his first name and then see it spill out of those infernal, stupidly smiling lips… Severus scowls. And those lips, he’ll never get used to them either. They’re so… _red_. 

 

It’s unnatural, is what it is. Is Potter wearing witch’s makeup? Or did he just come from a heated make-out session? 

 

Severus finally manages to tear his gaze away from the quirking, hypothetically kiss-bruised lips and settles it to rest in the emerald green pools that beckon to him as always, whispering to him, _drowning wouldn't be so bad really_... There is a flicker of light, like a smile; Severus flits his gaze down to the obscenely red mouth again to confirm, then back up to green... 

 

 _Well happy Christmas to me_ , he thinks drily and for a heart-squeezing second it seems as if the young man in front of him has actually _heard him_ because the amused quirk to his lips suddenly seems less amused and more — _but that’s preposterous_ — and he murmurs: ”Happy Christmas, Severus…”

 

 _Severus_ , his mind echoes. He will definitely never used to it. This. Him. He should probably resign and leave Hogwarts. There’s nothing that ties him to this place anymore, after all. _Nothing._

 

The bespecled boy’s eyebrows twitch expectantly at him. 

 

 _Nothing_ , Severus tells himself again. 

 

”Muggle religious nonsense”, he mutters. 

 

”Bah humbug”, Harry retorts, mirroring his tone. 

 

Then he’s grinning like a fool and as much as Severus feels that infectious grin tug at all the unused places inside of him, he refuses to be manipulated and only continues to scowl. 

 

”Oh, come on…” Harry wheedles. 

 

He bumps their shoulders together playfully — _Playfully! As if we were chummy first-years! As if we were chummy!_ — and Severus would snarl at him to keep his body parts to himself and respect the personal space of his elders, if he wasn’t too pre-occupied with trying to determine when the younger man had managed to sneak in to his personal space in the first place, and how come he hadn’t notice? 

 

”I haven’t got any mistletoe on me”, Harry says as if that statement would be reassuring as opposed to terrifying in its implications. ”I’m not going to force you to pull any crackers. I just wished you a happy holiday. Why do you have to be such a grinch?”

 

”I beg your pardon?” Severus says sharply. 

 

”A grinch”, Harry repeats with a teasing smile. ”A Scrooge. A Christmas-hating _grouch_.”

 

”And I think that’s filled my daily quota of insults to my character, so if you’ll excuse me—”

 

”You’re not insulted”, the arrogant boy says dismissively and even has the gall to seize Severus by the sleeve when he tries to walk away. ”Come and have a drink with me.”

 

”Unhand me this instant—”

 

”All right, if you’ll have a drink with me—”

 

”I will not!”

 

With an alarmingly heavy sigh, Harry drops Severus sleeve and the hand disappears into the crow’s nest on his head instead. Severus can’t help but the follow the movement with his eyes and, much like those nimble Seeker’s fingers, he gets stuck for a moment… Marvelling at how soft those hair looks, despite the tangle… 

 

”Sorry, I’ll leave you alone…” Harry says after a beat and turns to walk away.

 

”Finally”, Severus mutters. 

 

The younger man’s shoulders slump a little, but his steps don’t falter. Severus feels a pinch in his chest, but stubbornly ignores it. _It’s complete lunacy_ , he thinks. _Me, having drinks with Harry Potter. What good could possibly come of it?_

 

The retreating man stops suddenly then and whirls back around. Severus heart stutters in his chest, but for what reason he can’t fathom. 

 

”You won’t know, unless you find out”, the young man says and pins Severus with a rather poignant look.

 

 _What the Hell…_ Severus narrows his eyes again. But no, it’s impossible. He personally spent countless, draining hours trying to teach the brat the delicate art of Occlumensy and there is just _no way_ —

 

”I’m not reading your mind”, Harry says in exasperation and rolls his eyes. 

 

”Then…”

 

”I’m reading _you_. As much as you like to think you’re this mysterious, cold-hearted…” he trails off and gives his head a small shake. ”I have to give it to you, you play the part very well, but I just… I dunno, I can read you now… That’s all.”

 

”You can _read me_?” Severus repeats with a scoff that he hopes is adequate concealment of the fact that his heart is trying to push its way out of his chest, making it a little hard to breathe normally. 

 

”Yes”, the young man replies simply and shrugs. 

 

”Yet… You’re still here”, Severus says not too kindly, just to get the insufferable man away from him so he can have his heart attack in _peace._ ”What does _that_ tell you.”

 

”What’s it tell _you_ …” Harry counters shrewdly. 

 

”Don’t be absurd…” 

 

”Relax, Severus”, Harry says. ”I’m not asking you to marry me—”

 

” _Marry_ —!” Severus splutters. 

 

”—I just want to have a drink with you, that’s all.”

 

”Oh, is that all?” Severus scoffs again, but it sounds more and more choked. 

 

”Yes.”

 

” _Fine,_ if it will put an end to your infernal nagging, I’ll have a drink with you!”

 

”You will?” Harry says, perking up again to such extent that he gains at least an inch. 

 

”Only if you wipe that stupid grin off your face…” Severus mutters.


End file.
